Railway-signal



(No Model.)

W. J. PAWOETT. RAILWAY SIGNAL.

No. 595,294. Patented Dec. 14,1897.

2 5.- LUUK BUT THE 1 THE [TAR lnlmeggei 7 I veqtnq WM EHWWM\ UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrc a WVILLIAM J. FAXVCETT, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,294, dated December 14, 1897. Application filed February 4, 1897. Serial No. 622,058. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM J. FAWOETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Signals; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in railway-signals.

The invention has for its object the provision of a new and novel means whereby passen gers alighting from the rear end of a street or railway car may have warning of the approach of a car or train of cars upon the adjacent track in an opposite direction. Numerous accidents either in loss of life or personal injury occur almost daily to passengers crossing the tracks after alighting. Therefore the object of my invention is to provide each car with a simple and inexpensive device by which the operator of the car at the forward end may notify the passengers of the approaching danger, thereby preventing injury or loss of life.

lVith the above objects in view the invention finally consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangements of parts to be hereinafter more specificallydescribed.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,and wherein like figures of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views,in which-- Figure 1 is a side View of a portion of a car fitted with my improved signal device and as the latter would appear when in use. Fig. 2 is a front View of the same removed from the car and as it would appear when not in use. Fig. 3 is an end view of the same arranged upon the car and as it would appear when not in use. Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the operating mechanism on the line A B 0 Fig. 2.

To put my invention into practice, 1 provide a suitable bracket, such as that desig nated as 1, with the lugs 2, 3, and a formed thereon, and suitably attach the same to the rear end of the car. Secured between the lugs 8 and at at the lower end of the said bracket is the solenoid-magnet 5. The armature-rod 6 has the fiat spiral portion 7 formed thereon and is loosely fitted into a bearing formed within the lug 3, and the upper portion of the rod is loosely fitted in a bearin g formed within the upper lug 2. An open-coil spiral spring 8 is loosely coiled about the upper end of the armature-rod between the upper side of the lug 2 and the under side of the head,whioh is formed upon the upper end of the rod. Secured fast to the rod is the sign -board 9, preferably formed of sheet metal of any convenient size or form, so that when it is in its closed position the outer side may take the place of a panel and be utilized for placing thereon the number of the car or other purpose most suitable, as shown at Fig. 2. On the opposite side of the sign-board I arrange in large letters, either painted or otherwise placed thereon, such words of caution as will best answer the purpose, such as shown at Fig. 1. Arranged either upon the bracket to which the device is attached or upon any other convenient place is the electric hell 1 O for the purpose of attracting the attention of the person or persons to the danger-signal. The wires 11 and 12,which are here shown in diagram and leading from the solenoid-magnet, are intended to be connected to the supply-wires of the car. A suitable switch or other mechanism for opening and closing the circuit is located in a convenient place, where the operator of the car may easily manipulate the same. The wires 13 and 1 L leading from the hell are connected in multiple arc to those leading from the so lenoid-magnet, as shown at Figs. 2 and 3.

The operation of the device is as follows, it being assumed that it occupies the position as shown at Figs. 2 and 3 when not in use: As the passenger alights from the rear end of the car the operator, noting the approach of a car upon the opposite track, closes the switch or circuit, which immediately sets the bell to ringing, and at the same instant the solenoidmagnet pulls downward upon the armaturerod, and the action of the spiratformed portion of the rod acting in conjunction with the opening of the lug 8, through which it passes,

causes the sign-board to assume a position at right angles with the end of the car, as shown at Fig. 1, and in such position that the person or persons in danger cannot fail to see and read the inscription thereon. After the danger is over the operator of the car opens the circuit, and the spiral spring 8, exerting an upward pull upon the armature-rod, causes the same to automatically replace itself in the position it formerly occupied When not in use.

In applying the device if it is found more convenient than having one upon each end of the car the same may be so constructed that it may easily and quickly be disengaged from the one end of the car and attached to the opposite end.

I do not wish to confine myself to the exact construction of the device herein shown, as slight modifications may be made in the detail parts without departing from the general principle of the same Having thus fully shown and described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In an electrical signaling device for streetcars,the combination with the bracket mounted on the car, the solenoid-magnet supported thereon, of the vertically-movable spiral armature -bar, designed to Work Within said magnet, a slotted bracket-arm through which the spiral portion of the armature-bar reciprocates to cause a rotary movement thereto, a signal-board mounted on the bar and a spring to return the latter to its normal position.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

XVILLIAM J. FAWVCETT.

Witnesses:

JAS. J. MoArnn, WM. E. FAWoETT. 

